Suddenly, a soft knock at the door broke the silence.
Shao Yun turned his gaze toward the door.
It slowly creaked open, revealing Lumine peeking her head in. Seeing that Shao Yun was still awake and looking at her, she let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside.
Shao Yun sat up, looking at Lumine. He guessed she, like him, couldn't sleep after drinking the juice.
"Ah? Lumine, you can't sleep either after drinking that juice?"
Lumine smiled softly and nodded as she sat down on Shao Yun's bed.
"Yeah, after drinking the Iced Wolfhook Juice, I just couldn't fall asleep. But Paimon wasn't affected at all—she's sleeping like a log."
Hearing this, Shao Yun couldn't help but chuckle. It was so fitting for Paimon's carefree, emergency-food personality.
"Alright, next time I'll get something else, like Apple Cider or something, so you won't have trouble sleeping."
Lumine sat at the foot of the bed, while Shao Yun remained at the head, keeping a bit of distance between them. Neither of them knew what to talk about to pass the time.
"Shao Yun, come closer. There's something I want to tell you." Lumine gestured for him to move closer.
Shao Yun shifted a bit closer, but still kept about half an arm's length between them.
Even though Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon had already built a strong bond, the truth was that he and Lumine had only known each other for a day. If anything were to happen between them, it would feel way too fast.
"A lot happened today," Lumine said, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.
She lowered her head, her golden hair falling over her face, making it hard for Shao Yun to see her expression.
"Yeah, just yesterday you were an unknown traveler, and today you're the famous Honorary Knight."
Now that the conversation had started, they began to reminisce about everything that had happened since they met.
When Lumine brought up the encounter with Dvalin in the Whispering Woods, she still felt a shiver of fear.
"Honestly, when we ran into Dvalin in the forest, I was terrified." She placed her hand on Shao Yun's shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Thank you for protecting me and Paimon. We would've been in real danger otherwise."
If it weren't for the system's task, Shao Yun would've probably hidden with them. He had been forced into that situation, so being praised like this made him feel a bit shy.
"It's nothing. I'm used to facing danger head-on."
Lumine shook her head, her eyes closed, disagreeing with Shao Yun's dismissive tone.
"No, it's not about being used to it or not. Back then, you didn't even have a Vision, but you still stepped forward. That was really brave."
A Vision was just a symbol of strength. Besides enhancing his bullets, it didn't offer much else. The biggest benefit was that it allowed him to go from eating two or three meals a day to just one every two or three days, saving some money for Paimon.
Unaware of Shao Yun's thoughts, Lumine continued counting his brave acts on her fingers.
"When Stormterror attacked Mondstadt, you helped the citizens."
"You helped Lisa when she was in pain after touching the crystal."
"And tonight, I didn't even plan to have you come with me to steal the Skyward Harp, but you still chose to join. You walked ahead of me the whole time, and when we were discovered, you drew the Knights' attention so we could escape smoothly."
She didn't mention helping Jean deal with the Fatui, but that was a minor detail. It didn't change how Lumine saw Shao Yun.
Shao Yun lowered his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. Being praised felt really good.
But the Skyward Harp had still been stolen. He felt it was his fault. If he had been the one to grab it, maybe it wouldn't have been taken.
Thinking this, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Lumine. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away, unable to face her admiration.
"I thought you'd say that drawing the Knights' attention was reckless," Shao Yun said, trying to downplay what he considered a failure.
"Not at all. If you were truly reckless, you wouldn't be sitting here safe and sound." Lumine gently pushed his shoulder.
She leaned back, lying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
Then she lightly touched Shao Yun's back, signaling for him to lie down beside her.
Was this really necessary? Shao Yun wondered internally, but he lay down anyway.
They both stretched out their arms, palms open, staring at their fingers as if they were gazing at the stars in the night sky.
The two of them quietly admired the ceiling, though there wasn't much to see. But then again, the events of the day were enough to keep anyone's mind busy.
Shao Yun turned his head to look at Lumine.
"Actually, I think you're really brave too, daring to travel with me."
Lumine also turned her head, her eyes meeting Shao Yun's. There was a flicker of surprise in her gaze, but more than that, there was understanding and warmth.
"Like I said before, you've told me everything about yourself. I don't think you're that bad."
Hearing this, Shao Yun grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with playfulness. He reached out and lightly tickled her slender waist.
"No, I'm very bad."
Lumine's body twitched, and she burst into a series of melodic laughs. She tried to squirm away from Shao Yun's tickling fingers, giggling uncontrollably.
"Haha, stop it!"
After a few moments of playful wrestling, Lumine pushed his hand away and sat up, smoothing her slightly disheveled hair. Her face still wore an unconscious smile as she caught her breath.
"I take back what I said earlier. You're a very bad guy."
Seeing Shao Yun sit up, Lumine took his hand in hers and spoke earnestly.
"But you're the kind of bad that's not annoying."
Shao Yun let go of her hand. He knew exactly what kind of person he was. Under his new identity, the bounty on his head was worth billions of Mora.
"Come on, I know what kind of person I am. I'm just good to my own people."
Just as Shao Yun was feeling a bit melancholic, Lumine suddenly leaned forward and hugged him. Her movement was so quick that Shao Yun was momentarily stunned, but he was soon enveloped in a warm, comforting sensation.
Lumine's body emitted a faint, unique fragrance—a delicate and captivating scent that lingered in the air around them.
"Don't sell yourself short," Lumine whispered into Shao Yun's ear.
Shao Yun blinked, unable to believe what was happening. Was he dreaming?
His arms, seemingly moving on their own, slowly wrapped around Lumine's back, feeling her warmth and softness.
After a while, they slowly pulled apart, but Lumine's unique scent still lingered in the air.
Shao Yun pinched his thigh. It hurt. This wasn't a dream.
In the quiet atmosphere, Lumine's gaze was soft and warm as she looked at Shao Yun. His actions today had been like those of a knight—steadfast and reliable, giving her an overwhelming sense of security. She felt that this was the only way to properly thank him.
"I think traveling with you will go smoothly."
Lumine's voice was like a melody, filled with sincerity and joy, conveying her deepest thoughts.
Shao Yun made a promise to Lumine.
"As long as you don't send me away, I won't let you down."
To pass the time, the two of them leaned against the window, admiring the night view of Mondstadt.
The gentle night breeze brushed against their faces, gradually diminishing the energizing effects of the Iced Hook Hook Juice.
Lumine yawned involuntarily.
"Tired?"
"Yeah, it's time to sleep."
With that, Lumine got up and prepared to return to her room.
She walked to the door and gently closed it behind her, about to leave.
But just as she was about to go, she paused, turned back, and looked at Shao Yun. She tilted her head, smiled, and waved.
"Goodnight. Sweet dreams."
The door closed, and everything returned to silence.
(TL/N : No SEGGS? 😔. )
Shao Yun leaned against the headboard, his heart still racing. Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.
He looked at his hand, the one that had touched her back. The sensation had felt so real.
And the faint fragrance that still lingered in the room was a constant reminder that it had all actually happened.
Lumine had hugged him. They had only known each other for a day. Was his charm really that strong?
Lying back down, Shao Yun closed his eyes. The image of Lumine hugging him was still vivid in his mind.
"Even though we didn't get the Skyward Harp, I got a hug from Lumine. Totally worth it!"